My diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease in September 2009 at age 80 gave my life a new focus and challenge. Finding ways to meet this challenge helped make 2010 the best year of my life. I hope this blog will be a place where I can connect with others who also are dealing with aging and its afflictions and attractions so that we can share our "experience, strength and hope."

November 28, 2010

5-HTP and Problem Solving

I hesitate to post this because it sounds so "New Age." But here goes. Since taking 5-HTP, I've found that often when I go to bed wrestling with a problem, I wake up the next morning with a solution and not just a solution but also a detailed plan of action. Prior to 5-HTP, a good night's sleep sometimes would help resolve a problem, but not with the clarity and details that I'm now experiencing.

This morning was an example. After spending much of yesterday researching and writing the two posts on the faulty cautions about the safety of 5-HTP (see posts below), I went to bed worried that sooner or later I'd run out of things to say about 5-HTP.. I woke up at 5 a.m. (instead of the usual 7 or 8 a.m.) with the decision to broaden the blog's narrow focus so that I could discuss all of the other things that have made this, my first year after the Parkinson's diagnosis, one of the best years of my life. Then, I stood frozen at the bathroom mirror getting ready to brush my teeth as all sorts of ideas on how to go about this came flooding in..

I've Googled "5-HTP and problem-solving" in the past and not gotten any hits. This is a reminder that Parkinson's is a very idiosyncratic disease and that each individual's reaction to 5-HTP also is unique.

A Healthline Best!

“John Schappi was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2009, at age 80. We love John’s blog because it’s about living life to the fullest — whether that means traveling, going to the ballet, or celebrating the friendships he’s made through Alcoholics Anonymous. He also talks about what products he uses to deal with the side effects of Parkinson’s, such as insomnia, and shares and discusses helpful blog posts and information.” -- Healthline